Blueberry Lemon Cookies

As much as I enjoy the rich, indulgent, comforting baked goods that come along with wintertime and the holiday season, I have to admit that winter is wearing on me and I'm already aching for spring and summer.  

If you're also yearning for a taste of warmer temps, these supersoft, almost cakelike cookies are like a summer flashback in every bite.

For some reason my cookies didn't really spread out much at all. I know the temperature was accurate thanks to FINALLY getting an oven thermometer and realizing just how out of whack my oven is. So I plan to replace my baking soda and see if that helps. Just a warning in case your cookies come out flatter than mine--that's how they're actually supposed to look :)

These cookies only had the slightest hint of lemon, which was fine with me, but if you're a huge citrus fan you may want to increase the lemon zest or juice.

A couple of notes: Be extra careful when you're mixing in your blueberries, trying not to squish any if possible. Obviously they'll still taste great, but it kind of spoils the look and mouthfeel when you don't get that burst of fresh berry. Also try to distribute the berries evenly throughout so you don't end up with a bowl full of berries and no batter by the end. Not that that happened to me...

 

Blueberry Lemon Cookies

     from Baker Bettie  

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

3¼ cups cake flour

1½ cups blueberries

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, and beat after each addition.  Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat to incorporate. 

2. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  With the mixer on slow speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the batter.  Scrape down the bowl as needed and mix until incorporated.  Fold in the blueberries gently as to not break them.  

3. Allow the dough to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a small scoop (about 1 tbsp size) and place rounded mounds of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil.  Bake for 11-14 minutes until the bottoms look slightly browned (the edges should not brown).

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Twisted Sisters Cupcakes, Virginia Beach

On my last trip to Virginia Beach I happened upon Just Cupcakes by a happy accident, and after seeing Norfolk's Carolina Cupcakery featured on TLC's Cupcake Wars, it inspired me to seek out just what other cupcake hotspots I could find on my latest trip to the beach.

While I didn't make it to Carolina Cupcakery, I did happen upon The Sweet Shack--a cupcake haven run by Twisted Sisters Cupcakes. The brains behind Virginia Beach's Best Cupcake of 2011 and 2012, The Sweet Shack is the storefront location of the Sisters' popular cupcake truck.

The Sugar Shack

In addition to a varied selection of cupcakes, The Sweet Shack also offers lunch service and is a great place to stop off for a sandwich, but good luck trying to make it out of there without trying a cupcake...or two...or four (don't judge me).

Part of the adorable lobby where you can enjoy your cakes

As for the cakes themselves I was definitely impressed. That day's selection featured candy bar-inspired treats like Snickers and Heath Bar cupcakes, and I chose an Almond Joy cake along with a Tiramisu and the Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple seasonal flavors.

I have to admit that the Tiramisu wasn't my cup of tea, as it's possibly the only cupcake I've had to scrape frosting off of in order to finish. The texture was simply too butter-heavy for my taste. BUT that seems to have been just one off note, as the other three cupcakes were delicious. The Almond Joy had actual flakes of coconut in the frosting, and the Pumpkin Spice was to die for with a creamy spiced filling.

It's easy to see why these sisters were voted best in VA Beach, and you should definitely make a stop off next time you're in town to sample a few of the 70+ rotating flavors. Also be sure to follow them on Twitter to get the low down on all their cupcake truck stops!

If you go
The Sugar Shack
2408 Princess Anne Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
@TSCupcakes

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Martha Monday: Chocolate Waffle Cookies

For this Martha Monday, please welcome back our latest guest blogger--my mom! You may remember her from such hits as Apple Pie Rugelach and Cardamom Cranberry Pear Crisp. This week she brings you the perfect recipe to finally utilize that waffle maker that's been hiding in the back of your pantry and sate the sweet tooth that's secretly been missing all of the readily-accessible holiday cookies from last month. You know it's true :) Enjoy!

Oh Martha, Martha, Martha! How you entice us to bake with your glossy photos of perfect pastries and cookies. The picture in Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2005 showed perfectly round Chocolate Waffle cookies. This recipe attracted me because I would get to use the waffle iron that generally just takes up space on a shelf. (A gift requested by Mr. Nelson who must have had visions of me making waffles every Sunday morning). I diligently gathered my ingredients and followed the recipe meticulously only to face the cruel reality that baking once a year will not yield the same lovely result.

One thing I hadn't considered was that waffle iron grids can be different sizes, and mine are much larger than those in the picture. Also, my batter was pretty thick and I had to scrape each scoop of batter onto the waffle iron. These cookies did not turn into perfectly round circles, and some were more amoeba-like in appearance. The directions would have you coat the grids with cooking spray each time, but mine is Teflon coated and the the cookies were easy to remove and cooked according to the directions.

When dipping the tops in chocolate they're easy to drop. While the result is a tasty accident, if it happens too often you won't have enough chocolate for all the cookies! I console myself with the thought that taste is more important than appearance and these fluffy, chocolately cookies with their touch of cinnamon are yummy and "a keeper" according to my sister. The only thing that could have improved them would have been to make them with Hilary.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies
     From Martha Stewart
     Makes about 4 dozen

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
18 Tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk

1. Melt chocolate with 1 cup butter (2 sticks) in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly.

2. Put eggs, vanilla, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale, 4-5 minutes. Mix in chocolate mixture, salt, cinnamon, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and the flour.

3. Heat a waffle iron until hot. Lightly coat grids with cooking spray. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of batter onto center of each waffle-iron square to make 1 1/2-inch rounds. Close cover, cook until set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, bottom sides up. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, coating grids with cooking spray after each batch.

4. Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder; stir until smooth. Stir in milk.

5. Gently dip surface of each cookie in icing so that just the waffle lines (not the gaps) are coated.  Repeat with remaining cookies and icing. transfer to wire racks; let stand until set, about 10 minutes. Dust iced surfaces of cookies with confectioners' sugar. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature for 2 days. (I froze mine and they were fine).

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Rosemary Bread

Please welcome my friend Kate of Department of Plate as our latest guest blogger with her awesome and awesomely easy Rosemary Bread!

I stumbled across an easy bread baking recipe (in my opinion a gem in and of itself) but was truly drawn to try to attempt it rather than leave it in the large and ever growing stack of recipes in a magazine holder in my kitchen never to be made. This recipe made me a recall a particularly unglamorous time in this impassioned foodie's life: immediately post-college when meal plans and disposable income were both nonexistent.

Working during the day for a government contracting company and at night at the omnipresent and less than authentic Macaroni Grill Restaurant, it was in the latter that not only developed a soft spot for Rosemary Bread, but where for several months I may have subsisted upon it alone. This is an example of the little heard of "all carb diet"intended mostly for drought-ridden Horn of Africans, poorly compensated post-graduates, and other famine-ravished peoples of the world. On nights that a line cook wouldn't "accidentally" mis-make an order and box it for me to go instead of toss it in the trash (per company policy) I'd eat this bread for dinner. Oddly, this staple did not lose favor with me despite the unbelievable quantities I consumed.

So, when I found this recipe that claimed to be comparable to the one in my memory I had to give it a try. To my delight, it's true to its description: easy to make, and similar to Macaroni Grill. Each time I make it (fairly frequently) I smile to myself and think of scarfing bread during my shift in the hidden corner near the steamy dishwashing area and trashcans. An odd memory to consider fond no doubt, but somehow it is.

Rosemary Bread
    from The Food Network
     makes 4 loaves

1 1/4 oz. package active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and serving
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I usually substitute whole wheat flour), plus more for dusting
2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Stir the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer). Let sit until foamy, about 15 minutes.

2. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, the flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rosemary, fine salt, and 3/4 cup warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon (or with the dough hook if using a stand mixer) until a dough forms.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (or knead dough with a dough hook on med-high speed, adding a little flour if the dough sticks to the bowl, about 8 minutes).

4. Brush a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough; cover with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

5. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil. Generously flour a work surface; turn the rough out onto the flour and divide into 4 equal pieces.. Working with one piece at a time, sprinkle some flour on the dough, then fold the top and bottom an bottom of the dough into the middle. Fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a spatula to turn the dough over, tuck the corners under to form a ball. Place seam-side down on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing 2 balls on ear baking sheet.. Let stand uncovered until more than doubled, about 2 hours.

6. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Bake the loaves for 10 minutes; brush with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and remaining 1/2 Tablespoon rosemary. Continue baking until golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack to cool. Serve with olive oil seasoned with pepper.

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The Boys of Baking Volume IV: New Orleans Pralines

Hey everyone! In our latest edition of the Boys of Baking, Ryan joins his Grandmother and Aunt in New Orleans, Louisiana for some traditional holiday candy making.

Today's guest blog will trace the steps of making traditional New Orleans Pralines. Pralines are thought to have been a creation of a personal chef of 17th century French statesman César duc de Choiseul Comte du Plessis-Praslin. Some believe Plessis-Praslin would have the candies made for women he was courting. According to the story, he would put the sweets into individuals wrappings with his name "Praslin" on them and people eventually began to simply refer to the candies as Praslin's (Pralines). The original receipt used almonds, but when French settlers came to New Orleans, local Creole chefs began to substitute the almonds with the plentiful pecans that grew in southern Louisiana. Today's recipe is for Creole Pralines from a local New Orleans family.

New Orleans Pralines

1 cup sugar
1cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of light Karo syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of pecans

1) Place the white sugar, brown sugar, Karo syrup, and heavy whipping cream in a sauce pan.
2) Dissolve the sugars, Karo syrup and heavy whipping cream over medium heat until it boils.
3) Continue cooking until candy thermometer registers to 228 Fahrenheit - stirring occasionally.
4) Once the temperature reaches 228 Fahrenheit, add the butter, vanilla extract and pecans.
5) Continue cooking over medium heat until it reaches 236 Fahrenheit.
6) Remove from heat
7) Cool to 225 Fahrenheit
8) Beat until sauce thickens - happens very quickly
9) VERY QUICKLY, drop candy on wax paper into 10 or 15 individual portions
11) Let cool
10) Sit back under your closest Magnolia tree with a cup of chicory coffee and a plate of your delicious Creole pralines and enjoy!

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Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge Fail

I think I have a fudge curse. I haven't tried to make fudge in awhile because my last attempt saw me slaving away over the stove, sweaty and stiff-armed from stirring a pumpkin fudge that absolutely, resolutely refused to reach soft-ball stage. For anyone that's counting, that's 235-245 degrees on a candy thermometer.

When I came across this cute recipe recently, I thought it might be an easy way to ease back into fudge since it required NO stovetop time, and only microwaving. Easy as it sounds however, I guess this recipe didn't realize that I'm cursed. Despite microwaving the sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips for at least 4 minutes, these chips Would. Not. Melt. I ended up smashing most of them with the back of a spoon to get as close to a smooth consistency as possible.

Next, this recipe calls for three teaspoons of vanilla. 3. Not as much of a big deal if you're using grocery store, imitation vanilla. But if you're someone that likes to use the good stuff, this could get expensive. My problem wasn't cost so much as the fact that I only had brown vanilla extract, rather than clear. So, instead of having a nice, white cake look I had more of a beige/ecru/off-white cake look.

Finally, despite the picture I saw along with the recipe, the final product only makes a rather thin layer of fudge so, if you're looking for thick slabs of country-style fudge, you'll want to double the recipe. Oh, and in the end, it only sort of tasted like cake batter.

I always wonder whether to post recipe failures or not, but I figure it helps to show that not all the food you see online comes out perfectly the first time, and not all of us have the time, money and resources to continually throw out and remake recipes until they're just the way we'd like them. Or maybe I'm just cursed.

Funfetti Cake Batter Fudge
     from Pursuit Of Hippiness
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3.5 cups white chocolate chips
3 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Rainbow Sprinkles

1. Pour milk and white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2-3 minutes, or until white chocolate is almost completely melted. DO NOT OVERHEAT. Stir until completely blended, melted, and smooth.

2. Immediately add vanilla and almond and combine thoroughly. Add a handful or so of rainbow sprinkles and fold in quickly, because they will melt (and if they are stirred for too long they’ll turn the fudge an ugly muddy color).

3. Transfer to an aluminum-foil lined 8×8 inch baking pan for very thick fudge, or a 11X7 pan (recommended). Let set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

4. Once set,  cut into cubes (and peel off the foil!). Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place.

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Cardamom Cranberry Pear Crisp

Hey everyone, please welcome back my mom for her latest and greatest guest blog post with this phenomenal fall dessert (and I'm not just saying that because of my feelings towards cardamom...)

If you love autumn but are tired of the pumpkin spice craze that erupts in October, cardamom Cranberry Pear Crisp may be the recipe for you. It was easy to make following the usual directions involved with making any fruit crisp.

I was totally unfamiliar with cardamom but since it's Hilary's favorite spice I knew I had to give this a try. First of all to paraphrase Hilary, "People, you really need to go to World Market for your spices." Cardamom at my grocery store ranged from $9 to $12 but was $3.99 at World Market.

I would call this an "Adults Only" dessert. What I mean by that is the cardamom gives this crisp a spicy flavor that smells amazing as it bakes and the tart cranberries keep it from being overly sweet. This is something I could serve at Thanksgiving to break up the monotony of the usual pumpkin and pecan pies.

It did surprise me in October that I had to go to 3 stores to find cranberries, finally having success at Whole Foods. I would recommend using firm pears. Two of mine were more ripe than the others and were on the mushy side when the crisp was done. Since I'm not a big fan of the peeling, coring and slicing involved, I was please to discover my apple corer worked equally well on the pears.

When I make this again I will add chopped pecans in the topping and have some vanilla ice cream handy!

Cardamom Cranberry Pear Crisp
     from The Columbus Dispatch

Topping:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup oats (old fashioned OR quick cook)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:
8 pears peeled, cored, and sliced
1 package (8 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs cornstarch

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x9" baking dish with nonstick spray. To make the topping, in a medium bowl use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon and salt. Stir together until the mixture just form moistened crumbs and small clumps.

2. To make the filling, in a large bowl toss together the pears, cranberries, brown sugar, cardamom, salt and cornstarch. spread filling evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle to topping evenly over the filling. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the pears are tender and bubbling and the topping is well-browned.

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